“When you choose to collect experiences rather than things, you never ever run out of storage space.” – Joshua Becker – Author-Writer-Philanthropist-Pastor

“A negative mind will never give you a positive life.” – Lewis Hamilton – Formula One Race Car Driver

“The dreaming has to be backed up by the doing.” – Carrie Wilkerson – Author-Speaker

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Puerto Rico, Ed Perry)

Our club and guests welcomed visiting Rotary members from Illini After Five Rotary club, Urbana Rotary and Champaign West. Jenny Mulligan of Harbor Heights Peace-River Rotary Club in Punta Gorda, Florida, exchanged club flags with President -Elect Charlie Smith. 

In the fall, our club will plant a second silver linden in honor of Lou at the Decker Garden.

Oktay is seeking nominations for this year’s club awards.

Phyllis is working on a potential district grant for the Champaign County Home Visiting Consortium.

Planning has begun for a Rotary Shelter Box event honoring CU Sunrise charter member and past president Gary Olsen

May 16 USN Rear Admiral John Menoni will speak at Urbana Rotary meeting at Crystal Lake’s Lake House

May 20 Rotary Leadership Institute at Richland Community College

June 16 District Matching Points Campaign ends

July 10 Mahomet Rotary Golf Outing

July 29 Rotary Day at the Ballpark

Aug 21 Champaign Rotary Tim Costello Golf Outing

Upcoming Service Opportunities

May 25 from 4 to 7pm – Tod passed around a signup sheet for a repack at Eastern Illinois Foodbank

June 10 from 10 am to noon will be the Feeding Our Kids

June 17 from noon to 3pm Rotary Booth at the Juneteenth celebration at Douglas Park

June, second Saturday of the Month. 7am to Noon, Rotary Booth at Urbana’s Farmer Market

August we will have a United Way-sponsored activity: Read. Talk. Play Everyday Kids. 

PROGRAM

Mary introduced Janet Summers, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), Outreach Specialist.  Janet has worked in child welfare programs locally for 15 years, opened Milo’s and Escobar’s restaurants, and has been with OLLI since its inception in 2006.  Janet’s duties include coordinating OLLI’s study groups and lectures as well as membership and outreach programs. 

OLLI at Illinois offers intellectually stimulating courses and learning opportunities designed for adults 50 and older. Experts lead each class, and the courses include topics such as history, current events, science, literature, art appreciation, health and wellness and film. Besides the various courses OLLI activities also include study groups, lectures, Interest groups, local tours, and social gatherings. 

Starting on May 15 until May 19, “A Taste of OLLI” lectures and study groups are available for those wanting to see what OLLI presents (available both in class and via Zoom).

For more information how to register go to: olli.illinois.edu or visit OLLI at 301 N. Neil St., Suite 201, Champaign, Il.61801

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee members listed in parentheses)

May 18^th – Jen Shelby will discuss making a movie

May 25^th – Joe Rank will discuss his Honor Flight

June 1^st – Club Assembly

June 8^th @ 5:30PM – Kirk Banner will discuss the EAA event at Oshkosh (Darrell)

June 15^th – TBD

June 22^nd – Christopher Manson, VP for Government Relations at OSF, will discuss Ambulances for Urkaine (Mary)

June 29^th – Pass the Gavel

July 6^th – Club Assembly

July 13^th @ 5:30PM – TBD

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

May 29 – Phyllis Mischo

“I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.” – Jane Austen – 1775-1817 – Novelist

“I think and think and think, I’ve thought myself out of happiness one million times, but never once into it.” – Jonathan Safran Foer – Novelist

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Billie Jean King – Former Tennis Player-Advocate

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by Lisa Crane)

The District Assembly will be on April 29 at the Carle Forum.

April bucket bucks will go to CASA

The District 6490 Matching points campaign has begun.  It will run through June 16.  See the email for more details.

There will be an All-Rotary Booth at the Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, 6/17, at Douglass Park in Champaign.  More details to come.

There will be a Rotary golf outing on July 8^th at the Lake of the Woods course in Mahomet.

There will be another golf fundraiser in August.  Stay tuned for more details.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES 

*Feeing our Kids June 10

*Memorial Day Cemetery Flag Placing.  More info to come

PROGRAM 

Mary introduced our speaker Danielle Chynoweth, Supervisor, Cunningham Township, who discussed housing insecurity and homelessness in Champaign County.

Danielle asked us what home means to us?

She shared responses to this question from kids, aged 5-14, who said home is (a): Place to put your stuff, place that is safe, predictable space and schedule.

What happens if that space is disrupted or interrupted?  By death/divorce/ violence/job loss?

A full-time worker must make $16.69/hour.  Minimum wage worker must work 60 hours a week to afford rent.

A person with a disability who qualifies and receives SSI must pay no more than $313 a month in rent to avoid rent burden. 

Forty percent of calls to 211, the help line for essential community services, are for housing support.

Danielle discussed rental assistance programs and her angel donor program in which all money donated goes directly to the program  and not for “paperclips.”

She was happy to say that, currently, there are no literal homeless families in Urbana.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee members listed in parentheses)

May 4^th – Club Assembly

May 11^th @ 5:30PM – Janet Summers, will discuss the fall OLLI schedule (Bob)

May 18^th – Jen Shelby will discuss making a movie

May 25^th – Joe Rank will discuss his Honor Flight

June 1^st – Club Assembly

June 8^th @ 5:30PM – TBD (Charlie)

June 15^th – TBD (Lisa)

June 22^nd – Christopher Manson, VP for Government Relations at OSF, will discuss Ambulances for Urkaine (Lisa)

June 29^th – TBD

July 6^th – Club Assembly

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

May 29 – Phyllis Mischo